Wooden Fences
Elevated Living Standards
Wooden Fences
Wooden Fences That Last Through Seasons And Look Timeless
A well-built wooden fence brings privacy, security, and natural warmth to your property. Our fence installations use durable wood selections, treated for moisture resistance and seasonal shifts common in West Washington. Each build focuses on clean alignment, stable posts, smooth finishes, and long-term outdoor performance homeowners can depend on.
Wooden Fences Designed for Strength
Wooden fences must endure rain-heavy months, coastal humidity, and temperature changes. We build with carefully selected cedar, pine, and redwood options, reinforced with stable post setting and precision framing. Our team ensures proper sealing, strong fastening, straight leveling, and premium surface treatments for long-lasting resilience. Each fence is crafted to enhance property boundaries with dependable structure and a timeless, natural exterior presence that supports privacy and curb appeal without high maintenance stress.
Wooden Fencing Solutions We Offer
Summit builds wooden fences that define boundaries with premium wood, secure foundations, and weather-treated finishes for long-term reliability and outdoor aesthetics.
Our Wooden Fence Services Include:
- Cedar privacy fences for lasting weather resistance
- Pressure-treated posts for ground-level durability
- Custom height fences for better privacy control
- Precision-aligned wooden panel installations
- Weather-sealed wood for long-term protection
- Premium staining finishes for natural elegance
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We take time to understand your goals, ideas, and budget, ensuring your vision and priorities guide the project from day one.
Thoughtful planning and tailored design solutions shaped around your project’s scope, style, and timeline.
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Skilled craftsmanship brought to life with clear communication, consistent updates, and a clean, well-managed job site.
A thorough walkthrough to confirm quality, ensure satisfaction, and deliver a space built to last.
Let’s Build Something Exceptional
Experience refined luxury with interiors crafted to balance elegance, comfort, and functionality. At Summit Construction & Development, we transform your home with timeless design, premium finishes, and thoughtful details, creating spaces that reflect your unique style, vision, and way of living.
Service Area
Serving Western Washington State
We proudly provide general remodeling services throughout Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, Redmond, and surrounding Western Washington communities, delivering local expertise, regional insight, and solutions tailored to the area’s unique architecture and building conditions.
We Provide Wooden Fences in Surrounding Areas
Wood Fence Styles and Heights: Privacy, Decorative and Property-Line Options
Solid privacy fence. Pickets butted tightly together with no gaps, typically at six feet. The standard choice for backyards across Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and the surrounding communities, and the most requested style we build.
Board-on-board. Overlapping pickets on alternating sides of the rail. It gives full privacy with no gaps even after the wood shrinks seasonally, and it looks finished from both sides — worth considering where the neighbor sees the fence as much as you do. It uses more material and costs more accordingly.
Shadowbox. Alternating pickets on either side of the rail with a slight gap. Identical from both sides, allows airflow, which reduces wind load and helps wood dry after our wet months. Offers near-privacy rather than complete screening.
Classic picket. Three to four feet with spaced pickets. Decorative rather than screening, used mainly for front yards and garden enclosures.
Horizontal slat. The most requested contemporary style in newer Seattle and Eastside construction. Clean, modern, and well suited to flat runs — it requires closer post spacing to prevent sag.
Post-and-rail and split-rail. Boundary definition for larger lots and rural properties in Pierce, Thurston and Snohomish counties.
Lattice-topped. A privacy fence with a decorative lattice section above, adding height and light without a solid wall.
On height: six feet is the standard backyard privacy height in this region and generally the maximum allowed without a permit in most jurisdictions. Front-yard fences are commonly limited to three or four feet. Both vary by city, so confirm before you build.
Building a Fence That Survives West Washington Weather
A fence in this region faces near-constant ground moisture. What separates a fence that lasts 20 years from one that leans in five is entirely in the construction details.
Western red cedar is the right species here. Naturally rot- and insect-resistant, dimensionally stable, and locally available. It is the default for fence boards and rails in the Pacific Northwest for good reason.
Posts are the failure point — always. Fences fail at ground level where wood meets wet soil. We use pressure-treated posts rated for ground contact, set in concrete with the base crowned so water sheds away rather than pooling around the post. Gravel at the base of the hole for drainage matters in our soils.
Post depth. Generally one-third of the post’s above-ground height, at minimum two feet for a six-foot fence and deeper in soft or saturated ground.
Hot-dipped galvanized or stainless fasteners. Pressure-treated lumber corrodes standard fasteners quickly, and in a wet climate that leads to staining and structural failure. This is not a place to save money.
Keep boards off the ground. Pickets should have clearance above grade — a gravel strip or a pressure-treated kickboard prevents wicking, which is what rots the bottom of most fences here.
Seal or stain it. An unfinished cedar fence will silver naturally and still last, but a quality penetrating stain applied every two to four years significantly extends life and appearance in a climate this wet.
Property Lines, Permits and Neighbors
More fence disputes come from these three issues than from anything related to construction.
Know where your line actually is. Existing fences, hedges, and assumptions are frequently wrong — sometimes by several feet. For any fence going on or near a boundary, a current survey is inexpensive insurance against a dispute that could require moving the fence entirely.
Permit thresholds. Many West Washington jurisdictions require no permit for fences under six feet in rear and side yards, with lower limits in front yards and at street corners for visibility. Taller fences, retaining-wall-integrated fences, and fences in critical areas or shoreline zones typically do require permits. Rules differ city to city and we confirm yours before building.
Corner lots and sight triangles. Most cities restrict fence height near driveways and intersections to preserve visibility. This catches homeowners out regularly.
Talk to your neighbor first. Where a fence sits on a shared line, a short conversation about placement, style, and which side faces where prevents nearly every problem that comes later. Some neighbors split the cost; many do not. Either way, a conversation beforehand is worth having.
HOA and covenant requirements. Planned communities often specify permitted styles, heights, materials, and stain colors. Check before ordering materials.
Utility locates before digging. Call 811 before any post holes are dug. This is free, legally required, and we handle the request as part of the project.
Wooden Fence FAQs
How much does a wood fence cost per linear foot?
In West Washington, a standard six-foot cedar privacy fence generally runs $40 to $70 per linear foot installed. Board-on-board and horizontal slat styles typically run $55 to $95 per linear foot because they use more material and require closer post spacing. A 150-foot run therefore usually falls between $6,000 and $11,000 for a standard privacy fence. Sloped ground, removal of an existing fence, difficult access, and gate count all affect the final number.
How long does a wood fence last, and what maintenance does it need?
A properly built cedar fence with ground-contact-rated posts set in concrete typically lasts 15 to 25 years in West Washington. Maintenance is modest: wash off moss and algae annually, apply a quality penetrating stain or sealer every two to four years, and check posts and hardware each spring. Posts are almost always what fails first, which is why how they are set matters more than any other detail.
Do I need a permit or survey before installing a fence?
Many West Washington jurisdictions allow fences up to six feet in rear and side yards without a permit, with lower height limits in front yards and near corners for visibility. Taller fences and those integrated with retaining walls generally do require permits. A permit is not the same as a property survey — if the fence sits on or near a boundary, we strongly recommend a current survey, since relocating a misplaced fence is far more expensive than confirming the line first.
What’s the best wood type for fences in Washington’s climate?
Western red cedar is the best choice for fence boards and rails here — naturally rot- and insect-resistant, stable through wet and dry cycles, and locally sourced. Posts should always be pressure-treated and rated for ground contact regardless of what the boards are, since ground-level moisture is what destroys fences in our climate. Redwood performs well but costs more and is less commonly available locally; untreated pine is not a good long-term choice in this region.
How long does fence installation typically take?
Most residential fence installations take two to four days. Day one is typically post setting, after which the concrete needs to cure before panels are hung — that curing period is why the job spans multiple days even on shorter runs. Removal of an existing fence, sloped terrain, rocky soil, and multiple gates add time. We confirm utility locates before digging, which needs to be requested a few business days ahead of the start date.
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What Our Clients Are Saying
Michael R.
Seattle, WA
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“Summit Construction & Development did an excellent job on our remodel. The process was smooth, communication was clear, and the quality of work was outstanding.”
Sarah L.
Seattle, WA
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“Summit exceeded every expectation. The craftsmanship, communication, and professionalism were outstanding. Our kitchen feels like a brand-new home.”
Michael R.
Tacoma, WA
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“Doron and his team delivered exceptional quality from start to finish. They were organized, honest, and truly cared about the details.”
Jennifer K.
Everett, WA
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“We finally found a contractor we can trust. The bathroom remodel was seamless, elegant, and finished right on schedule.”
Brian T.
Redmond, WA
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“Professional, reliable, and talented. Our deck and exterior paint upgrade look incredible. We’re already planning our next project with them.”
